Watermarks - A Review

A few years ago, I saw one of the most powerful documentaries I've seen in a long time. You can now find it in recordings. If you're interested in women's history, in women's sports, in Holocaust or Jewish history, or in a story of the triumph of hope over evil, this movie packs a powerful message. You'll learn about the story of women swimmers of Austria's Jewish sports club, Hakoah, founded to provide opportunities for Jewish athletes who were excluded by law from Austrian clubs.

Seeing the film with family members of one of the featured women was special, but the interviews and the flow of the movie make all the women really come alive even without such a connection. Thus, their experiences become more real. When someone subtly insults one of the women, the impact is personal -- it's not just an image on a screen.

It's always a challenge with documentaries about the Nazi era to make the vastness of the horror real; by learning more about the lives of these women, the impact on the ordinary Jews of the 1930s becomes more real to audiences of today.

• Review of Watermarks
• Trailer for Watermarks